At Your Side
by Sugarbubbleslove
Summary: A girls' night leads to more as they mourn the loss of love. Based on a prompt from Kink Meme. Timeline - ME2, on the way to Collectors' Base. Includes Tali/Jane Shepard, past Kaidan'/Jane, hints of Tali/Kal'Reeger - part of 'Of War and Love' Series
1. Chapter 1: At Your Side Part 1

Title: At Your Side

Characters: Tali/Fem-Shepard, (Kaidan/Fem-Shepard, Tali/Kal'Reegar)

Rating: High Teen

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything from the forum Mass Effect. Bioware owns Dragon Age and its characters. There is no copyright infringement intended. I do not make any profit/money or take any credit.

Summary: A girls' night leads to more as they mourn the loss of love.

Timeline: Mass Effect 2 – Going through Omega 4 Relay

Warning: Hints of Fem-Slash, implied Sexual Themes

Author's Notes: Tali is the one person I would ditch Kaidan's perfect ass for yet I can't have her as a Fem-Shepard?!

Title: At Your Side *Part 1

Pairings: Tali/Jane Shepard, Kaidan/Jane, Kal'Reegar/Tali

Rating: High Teen

Summary: A girl's night leads to more as they mourn over lost loves

Timeline: ME2 – Through Omega 4 Relay

Kink: *Read A/N of Part 2

Warnings: Hint of Fem-Slash, Implied Sexual Themes

"Are you ready?" Tali'Zorah vas Normandy asked as she leaned over the bed to grab her glass filled with Tripled-Filtered Turian wine. Her dark purple hair caressed her shoulders as it fell forward before sliding down her back when she straightened.

"…No," came the voice of Jane Shepard softly, her best friend. Startled, Tali looked over to see the Commander was lying on her bed, her light blue eyes locked onto the glass window that provided them with the perfect view of the stars. Her dark brown hair, almost black, was splayed out on the pillows. Her surprised gave way to understanding as concerned filled her dark brown eyes.

"Shepard," she leaned over, sliding a hand over the other woman's. Jane's eyes slid down to meet hers and she smiled wryly.

"Some Commander I am," she muttered, sitting up, her dark brown hair falling to her shoulders.

"You are allowed to be human," Tali reminded her with a soft smile, "Despite how you may have been brought back." Jane snorted into her glass of wine she had picked up from the bed-side table and had been in the middle of taking a sip.

"Nice," she muttered, giving the Quarian a teasing glare. Tali was probably never going to let that down, she already had Garrus and Joker ribbing her regarding being dead and brought back.

She took in the sight of her best friend. Tali was beautiful, there was no denying that. Shepard had overheard Tali explaining to Grunt why she was in an environment-suit and had decided that wanted to do something to help Tali feel more at home.

So, with the help of Mordin, Dr. Chakwas, EDI and Engineer Daniels, they had managed to come up with a system that would decontaminate the Captain's Quarters to make it safe for Tali to remove her suit.

Dr. Chakwas and Mordin had come up with some inoculations to make the transgression easier on Tali's immune system, allowing the delighted Quarian a chance to go without her suit. She had darted into the bathroom with the clothes Jane had given to her to borrow before coming out, revealing her true-self.

She had waist length dark curly purple hair with deep brown eyes. Her skin was a light shade of green and she had black lines over her body that reminded Jane strongly of the tribal tattoos that was popular on Earth.

She had lines starting from the corner of her eyes, following the top of her cheek bones before meeting with the curve of her ears, which were pointed at the tip almost giving her an elfish look. There was another two; both met the edge of the eyebrow, where the curve of her nose and eyes met before following the curve of her eyebrows and rising up into her hairline.

She had numerous of them over her arms and legs but they weren't as extravagant as Jack's tattoos. It made Jane sad to know that no-one could see what Tali looked like, what the Quarian looked like under those suits. She was sure it would stop the discrimination they faced quite quickly.

And that made her think of Kal'Reegar back on Haestrom when she went there to find Tali after TIM had sent her a dossier on the Quarian. She remembered Kal's determination in ensuring Tali survived, even to the point he would willing lay down his life for her.

And of course, she wasn't going to forget Tali's begging her to make sure Kal survived. It warmed her heart to know that Tali had someone who cared about her during the two years she had been 'gone'.

"So…" a mischievous grin crossed her face and Tali felt a sudden shiver of terror crawl down her spine. The last time she had seen that look, the Commander had managed to convince a certain Turian into confessing his feelings for a certain Doctor, much to Jane's amusement as she had believed she would have to convince the Turian into believing the Doctor liked him more than a friend.

Needless to say, Garrus had avoided all contact with Shepard for days afterward, especially when she had offered to drop him off at the Citadel so he could confess his love. _Unresolved issues_, she said, _good chance to work stress off_ _and test the doctor's flexibilities_. Tali had never seen Garrus run that fast, or blush that hard

"So…" Tali repeated hesitantly.

"What is going on with you and Kal'Reegar?" she asked, leaning forward.

"Keelah!" she spluttered. "What are you talking about?!" a smirk curled up the other woman's lips.

"You asked me to protect him, he asked me to ensure your safety…" she reminded. "Is there something I should know about? Well, other than how to be in two places at the same time."

"No! There is nothing to know about. It is impossible to be in two places at the same time!" she exclaimed out before she gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she realised what she let slip and Jane let out a cackle as she rubbed her hands together.

"You like him!" she told the alien gleefully, watching as Tali's cheeks turn a darker shade of green.

"No, no I don't!" Tali tried to protest but her flaming cheeks weren't helping her case and she covered her face.

"It's not a bad thing," Jane tried to assure but she wasn't really getting anywhere with getting Tali to confess and decided a different tactic. "He does sound cute," She said only to realised how lame it was. Tali seemed to think it was as she lifted her head to look at her best friend.

"Oh, Shepard," Tali burst out laughing, which only increased Jane's hurt look as she watched her best friend.

"It's not as if I can say he's hot or cute!" she protested, defending herself. "You guys are covered from head-to-toe! Tali!" Tali doubled over as her laugher increased. "Right now, I'm seriously reconsidering your best friend status," she muttered, crossing her arms.

It took a bit for Tali to calm down, only breaking out into giggles whenever she saw Jane's annoyed expression.

"Sorry," Tali apologised. Jane just narrowed her eyes, making Tali snicker before she quickly covered her mouth. "I understand what you were trying to get at." She made a huffing sound, turning her head.

"He is cute," Tali agreed, trying to get back into Shepard's good books only to get an amused smirk and realised that she had walked into a trap and desperately back-peddled. "I mean, he sounds cute-no! That's even worse!" Jane laughed. "Shepard!"

"Come on," Jane whined. "I told you, Liara and Ash my feelings for Kaidan! Throw me a bone here!" Tali snorted.

"You mean your lust for the LT's hot ass that you wouldn't mind squeezing to see if they were as firm as they looked," Tali corrected, watching with amusement as Jane mouthed soundless.

"Oh god, I was so drunk!" she exclaimed, dropping her head into her hands in mortification. Tali laughed even harder remembering the reactions of the girls back then. Liara had blushed so hard that she turned purple while Ashley had fallen off the bed due to laughing so hard.

"Yeah, you pretty much were wasted," Tali agreed, snickering as Jane's head snapped up, her blue eyes wide with panic and something akin to horror.

"You can never ever tell Kaidan about that, ever," she ordered Tali, who smirked.

"Are you sure Ashley never told him?" she watched as Jane's cheeks reddened.

"No! She can't have! She wouldn't…would she?" she trailed off, now unsure.

"It was Ash, she knew everything," Tali reminded and the Commander whined once more.

"Just kill me again," she pleaded.

"Not funny," Tali snapped, the mood suddenly changing. Jane looked at her best friend with wide eyes before she softened.

"Sorry," she whispered and Tali shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's a touchy subject with us, Jane. You can't say things like that when we're around. We lost you once."

"At least you believe me when I say I was dead," she muttered bitterly. Tali sighed.

"Kaidan…" she bit her lower lip as her eyes dropped down to the bedspread, unsure how to say it. "When we reached the pod, he was so sure that you would be in it…the moment he saw Joker was alone, he knew." Jane lifted her head to watch Tali.

Tali locked eyes with the Commander. "He broke down, Jane. None of us could help him, he wouldn't let us. Anderson forced him to take time off after the funeral and even then – he was under watch." Her breath hitched as she shook her head. "I think they were worried about him snapping like the other L2s."

"Kaidan," Jane whispered, her eyes closing as a tear slipped free. She knew it had been two years since her death – everyone kept saying – but it was still too hard for her believe it. To her, it had only been a few months.

A few months ago, she had been laughing at something Kaidan told her, both of them in bed before he leaned over and kissed her softly that made her heart skip a beat. When they parted, she had gained the courage to say those three words she desperately wanted to say to him only for the blast from the Collector's beam to steal the moment.

"Damn it," she hissed, shaking her head and turning her gaze away from Tali's concerned ones. "I froze on Horizon. He kept asking me these questions and I kept saying the wrong things but I couldn't think. I thought I had lost him, Tali. When I saw the Collector's ship leave…I honestly thought I had been too late and they had just left with him on board and there was nothing I could do."

A breathless laugher escaped. "Then he rounded the corner, alive and safe. He had been happy to see me at first and we hugged. That was the moment I felt normal again, like nothing happened then he started accusing me of betraying the Alliance by working with Cerberus. And he accused me of faking my death. Why does everyone believe that?!"

A painful laugh escaped from her. "And he demanded to know why I didn't call him during the two years! Sorry, I was dead…unless the afterlife had some sort of 'Call Home' aspect that I didn't know about," she ranted.

"Jane."

"Sorry," she apologised, chastised. "I…I try and not think about it too much. Being spaced isn't a death I would advise. So if I don't make a joke about it, I think I will either drive myself crazy remembering or just break down. Neither of them is a good time for it."

"You can talk to me," Tali reminded her. She gave her best friend a warm smile.

"I know, Tali, I know," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "But it's difficult to talk about. I mean, this whole time, no-one had even asked me how I was doing. Miranda and Jacob just asked me questions about what I remembered then that was it. It was time to meet 'TIM' then collect my team to go against the Collectors."

"Tell me," Tali insisted, putting her glass down and turning back to her best friend with concerned brown eyes. Not for the first time, Jane was struck at how beautiful her best friend was.

"Sometimes…" she bit her bottom lip before sighing. "Sometimes I wish I had stayed dead. Life was simple," she confessed. Tali reached out, covering hers.

"Jane…" she sighed but Jane shook her head, looking at her with tearful blue eyes.

"No, for you guys, it was two years. You had time to mourn for me and move on. I've only had months, Tali. To me, it feels like I've been asleep the entire time and found that nothing is what it used to be. I love him," she choked on the last words. She had never said it out loud before; it was always in her thoughts whenever she looked at Kaidan.

He was the one she was supposed to say it to for the first time, not her best friend.

Tali shifted so she was now sitting next to her, sliding an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug.

"He still cares about you," she whispered. Jane shook her head.

"He told me he 'loved' me, which implies he has moved on," she informed her best friend, remembering the letter she had received from Kaidan not long after Horizon.

She had been torn over reading the damn thing or deleting it that she ended up leaving it, pushing it to the back of her mind. Until tonight, she was going through another suicide mission and she didn't want to end up regretting that she never read it.

To her horror, she felt even worse. Even though Kaidan had confessed that he still cared about her and that they 'maybe' had a chance - the guy always left a way out - he confessed that he had dated a doctor.

Talk about building up her hope only to dash them a moment later. She didn't even know what to feel. A part of her was happy that Kaidan had moved on with his life during the two years but at the same time, she was angry, bitter. He had the chance to move on from her, she didn't.

She never knew she could feel so tangled up over a man but Kaidan wasn't just any man, he had been the first one she let into her heart. She had always been so busy with training, and no man had really matched up to her father, Anderson and Hackett, that she never really had the time to date.

Kaidan had been the first one in a while and she had agonised over it. She had been his superior, it was against regulations but there had been something about him that drew her in, made her want more.

"I lied," Tali confessed, breaking into her thoughts. Jane lifted her face, confused. "I do care for Kal…and I told him."

"Yeah?" a smile lit up Jane's face. "What did he say?"

"There were regulations against it," Tali replied, her voice emotionless. Jane stared at her, her smile fading before she scoffed.

"We would fall for those who hold regulations higher than love," she muttered. Tali was silent for a moment longer before she started giggling. "What? What's so funny?" she turned her head to look at her best friend.

"I'm sorry," Tali bubbled out. "I suddenly had this image of Kaidan and Kal exchanging notes on how to drive us nuts." Jane stared at her before a grin crossed her lips, rolling her eyes as she shook her head.

"Okay, now you got me having that image," she muttered. They shared a look before they started laughing at the image. It was something that they would do. They leaned into each other, holding the other up as their laugher started to die down.

No matter their current feelings of annoyance toward the men, the facts were there. They were still in love with them and nothing would change that.

Sighing, Jane turned to see Tali was watching her with a faint smile on her lips. It felt so natural to do what she did next.

She leaned in, her lips brushing against Tali. Tali squeaked and Jane jerked her head back, mortification crossing her face.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She hurried out. "I…I don't even…" she closed her eyes as she groaned as she tried to figure out why she had done what she had done when she felt soft lips caress hers. Her eyes snapped open to meet Tali's soft ones.

As if drawn together by magnets, they met each other's lips again. One of Jane's hands slid into Tali's dark hair, the other went to her shoulder before sliding down the arm and sliding over her waist.

Tali moaned into her mouth, her hands sliding up Jane's legs as Jane fell backward on the bed, pulling Tali with her as her hands moved lower while Tali's moved higher.

It was just one night…and they needed it.

TBC

This is a prompt from the Mass Effect Kink Meme – see *A/N in Part 2


	2. Chapter 2: At Your Side Part 2

Title: At Your Side *Part 2

Pairings: Tali'/Jane, Kaidan/Jane, Kal'Reegar/Tali

Rating: Teen

Summary: It was just one night and they still have each other's backs.

Timeline: ME2 – Omega 4 Relay

Kink: *See Below at A/N

Warnings: Hints of Fem-Slash

Jane Shepard groaned softly as she slowly prised open one eye, taking in the sight before her. Her cabin was dark, illuminated only by the fish-tank which the humming, usually soothing, felt like it was drilling a hole in her throbbing head.

Sighing, she closed her eye and burrowed deeper into her cocoon only to freeze when she felt another body in her bed. A moment later, she realised she was naked and so was the occupant before the memories came back to her with a vengeance.

She looked over her shoulder to see Tali were sleeping peacefully, her back toward the other woman before Shepard frowned. She didn't feel anything.

It was strange, she had overheard people taking about what they felt whenever they had a one-night-stand. They usually felt stupid or embarrassed. There were some who felt less stressed but not one has ever mentioned they never felt anything.

Maybe Miranda broke her when she brought Shepard back from the dead.

She rolled onto her back just as Tali started stirring. Her blue eyes locked onto the skylight, watching the stars wishing that Cerberus had been less of a dick and gave her a full ceiling.

No-one wanted to be reminded of their death.

Tali groaned, one hand coming to her forehead and Shepard winced in sympathy for the Quarian. They had drunk a fair amount of alcohol the night before, mostly for courage to face the up-coming battle.

They had thought nothing could top going through a Mass Relay in a Mako. Little did they know they would be going through a Relay that no-other ship had made it back through. She mentally snorted to herself, her life was never easy.

Tali rolled onto her back, her brown eyes going to the ceiling briefly before looking at Shepard, giving her a soft smile which faded as the memories came back to her.

Similar to Shepard, she frowned as her dark eyes returned to the skylight. She had always been told that having casual relationships was out of the question. There just weren't enough Quarians for that type of thing and that having a same-sex relationship was forbidden. It was hard to have children when you didn't have the partner for it.

"Why…why don't I feel awkward?" Tali asked, frowning. "I mean, you are meant to feel awkward when you have a one-night-stand, right? Especially when it's with a good friend and you were drunk?" she turned her head to regard Jane, who took offence to that.

"Why are you looking at me?" she demanded. "This is the first time it's ever happened to me! Either sleeping with another woman or having a one-night-stand!"

"Really?" asked Tali, shocked, "Because that trick you did with your tongue was very nice, very good for someone who has never done it before." Shepard flushed at the memory before grumbling something. "Sorry, I didn't get that."

"I said I copied what Kaidan did," she repeated clearly, burrowing deeper into the covers as Tali smirked.

"No wonder you wanted him to come with you," she teased. Shepard groaned, pulling the covers over her head while Tali laughed softly, mindful of their headaches.

"You are evil," the muffled curse came. "You should be destroyed." Tali giggled, grinning as her eyes went back to the skylight.

They stayed there in silence for a long moment before Shepard sighed, pulling the covers down from her face. "I don't know why we don't feel awkward," she admitted. "Everything I've heard about one-night-stands always told me that people end up regretting it in the end." She shrugged.

"Do you regret it?" Tali asked. Shepard shook her head, turning to look at Tali with a soft smile.

"No, I don't think I could even if I wanted to," she admitted. Tali smiled back.

"Same," she agreed.

"Maybe…" she bit her bottom lip, "maybe because we know we are friends, we are not willing to let this come between us?" she suggested.

"Hm that sounds about right," Tali hummed before she shifted so she was lying on her side facing Jane. She slid her left arm over Jane's breasts and one of Jane's hands came up to curl around the elbow. She rested her head on Jane's shoulder and Jane rested her cheek on top of Tali's head.

They stayed there in silence for a moment, just relishing the feel of their friendship being solid rather than being destroyed when Shepard's conviction strengthened.

"We're going to make it," she announced. "We're gonna do this mission, we're gonna get our crew back and we're gonna show the Collectors and the Reapers why they can't fuck around with our family." Tali giggled.

"You always have a way with words," she smiled against Jane's shoulder. Even when she was trying to be 100% diplomatic, a few curse words would slip in. Even when she was trying to stay calm, she would eventually end up shouting just to get some sense knocked into the person's thick skull.

"Hm, blame my father," Jane muttered as her eyes returned to the stars. "He always told me that you should be polite, respectful, and you would be surprised at how far you could go. And of course, keep your threats light and sweet. The imagination is more than enough."

"You sound like him," Tali whispered. She knew Jane's father was a sore spot. Ever since she had come back, she had been trying frantically to contact her father but Cerberus had been blocking at her every turn, even when she was off the ship, driving her to a near state of breakdown.

It didn't help that it turned out that Alliance wasn't being upfront with her father. She had received an e-mail from him. Anderson and Hackett had told him that she was still alive but he wanted to hear it from her and Alliance wasn't allowing any proof being forwarded.

It had only gotten worse as it got closer to the impeding suicide run. She had begged Miranda and Jacob to help her, and they tried their hardest – especially after she helped solve their unfinished business – but they had been unable to help her.

EDI had also tried but even though she wasn't shackled, there were still blocks in place that prevented her from accessing the firewalls allowing her to contact Shepard's father, leaving Shepard feeling completely lost.

She didn't know what to do, was desperate to let her father know she was still alive. She had missed him and needed to hear his voice but unfortunately for her; no-one could, or would, help her achieve that.

It had made it all worse after she met Kaidan on Horizon. That was now two unfinished business she had and she couldn't resolve any of them. All she could do was hope that she would pull off the impossible once more.

"He's a major influence in my life," she whispered. She had only told one person about her father, Kaidan. "He had been hurt in battle and was considering a desk job when my mother told him she was pregnant with me. Instead of taking the desk job, he decided he'll raise me and allow my mother to go back to her job." She chuckled. "Anderson and Admiral Hackett hadn't wanted to lose him so they offered him a job as a diplomatic in a bid to try and create bridges between the different races among the galaxy."

"Did it work?" Tali asked. Jane shook her head, sighing sadly.

"No, there was too much bad blood between each race. My father tried to figure out where the bad blood stemmed from but they refused to talk about it." She chuckled. "That's where I got my love for questioning people on their cultures. I am interested in how they work well and how different they are from us."

"I remember Wrex complaining about you constantly asking him questions, why weren't the Krogan doing anything to help rebuild their populations. Why weren't there more scientists looking for a way to cure the Genophage? I think you just about drove him nuts," she said. Shepard snorted.

"I obviously got through to him considering he's now trying to drag the clans back to glory, whether they like it or not," she informed the Quarian, who laughed remembering Wrex on Tuchanka. It had been nice to see another familiar face, even nicer when Wrex didn't question if it was Shepard.

"You have that ability," Tali said, thinking back on everything. Shepard had brought up good points regarding the Geth back on the Normandy SR1 but Tali had refused to even consider her points.

Now…knowing Legion, she felt she was beginning to get what Shepard been trying to point out. It was the same with the Rachni. All of them had suggested it would have been better to let the Councillors deal with the Rachni Queen while Wrex was all for killing the Queen, but Shepard had listened to them and the Queen before making her choice.

She had spared the Queen and so far, the Queen has kept her promise by staying away. Even though the Councillors had given her grief over sparing the last Rachni, she had stuck firm to her belief.

"How do you do it?" Tali suddenly asked, shifting so she was now propped up on her elbow looking down at Jane, whose brows were furrowed in confusion. "How do you have faith in the Krogans, the Geths and the Rachni? You've always been outspoken about the Krogan getting the cure despite everyone saying it would be the worst thing to do since they are considered blood-thirsty. How do you believe Legion that only a small fraction wants to follow the Reapers? How do you know the Rachni Queen won't come back one day and kill us all?"

Shepard smiled, a smile filled with trust and belief that took Tali's breath away.

"Because I look at them and see what the future could hold if someone were just to believe in them. I look at Wrex and I don't see a blood-thirsty Krogan, but a Krogan who has seen his fair share of death and destruction. He had never made it a secret that he was a merc and he killed for money, but he didn't have to help us out against Saren."

"And the Cure?" she pressed. Shepard smiled as she turned her eyes back to the window.

"What they did, it was necessary. I get it and I'm not saying they were wrong. But I do think they are wrong for continuing it. They are so scared of the Krogan getting revenge if they are cured, but if they keep going down this path – the Krogans _will_ come after them, cure or no cure."

Shepard shook her head. "We should give them the chance to prove themselves and seeing Wrex gathering the clans together – that's the proof I needed. Someone had listened to him regarding his history. That was all the push he needed. To know that there was someone out there who had his back and I do. I will have his back all the way to the end and I will fight for him if there is ever a chance for the Krogans to be cured."

"The Geths?" she pushed and Shepard arched an eyebrow amused, shifting so she was also propped on her elbow facing Tali.

"They never left the Veil, Tali. All those years the Quarians were exiled and not once did the Geths come after you. Hell, the only time we saw them was the fraction that was working with Saren. I always had some suspicions regarding the Geths, but I didn't have any proof until I met Legion. And he gave me a choice – to destroy the Geths or give them a chance to make their own choices. Do you have an idea how big a choice that is? And to give it to me? Someone who opposed Saren and the Reapers?"

A bewildered smile crossed her lips. "He trusted in me to make the right choice, and getting to know him, I know I did. Your people created the Geths, Tali. It may have been an accident that they evolved but they did and even now, they are waiting for you to come home but your people won't see it so if I have to, I will stand with Legion to prove to the galaxy they can be trusted…and I can only hope you will be by my side to help them see that."

"Shepard…" she breathed.

"And the Rachni…I know you guys never felt it but when I let her go, she touched me – mentally. I felt her song within me and it was beautiful. She was beautiful and why should I condemn an entire species all on the words of the Councillors and Wrex? It wasn't her fault her children had become feral nor did she ask to be hatched, but she was and also gave me a choice – to let her live or to kill her. I made my choice and I don't regret it."

"But how?" the Quarian whispered, still not getting it. Shepard interlaced their fingers of their free hands before bringing it up and placing it over her chest where Tali could feel her heart beating.

"Because I feel it here," Tali looked into her blue eyes, determination and belief clear in them. "I feel how right it was to make those choices and I know, in the end, I will see the results and it will be beautiful. The future will be beautiful and they will have a helping hand in making that future a better place for us all."

"You are amazing," Tali breathed, shaking her head as tears filled her brown eyes. "I know you don't see it but you really do inspire us and yes, I will be there, standing right by your side to help prove to the Galaxy the Geth can be trusted."

Shepard smiled brightly before they embraced each other in a hug. "Is that another thing your father taught you?" Shepard laughed into Tali's hair before she pulled back, nodding as she wiped away a tear.

"He always said you should do the opposite of what people expect you to do because you are more likely to inspire belief that way."

"Like saving the Council?" she asked, innocently. Shepard snorted, not fooled.

"You are never going to let me live that down, are you?" she grumbled, remembering Tali's suggestion that they should sacrifice the council, leaving the ships to concentrate on Sovereign.

"You certainly did surprise a lot of people that day," she giggled.

"Laugh it up, I got their respect and support, even if it is private," Jane informed her. "But you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar."

"Yes, and you can stop bloodshed before it can think about starting, talk people down from the ledge and cause people to run by cracking your knuckles and/or pretending there is a bomb in the area," Tali listed. Jane's eyes widen in disbelief.

"Oh my god, what?! Do you guys have a list of everything I've done?" she demanded. "I've had Garrus listing every mission we took that involved Cerberus, demanding to know if I remembered!"

"No, no list," Tali soothed, waiting for Jane to relax. "Joker may have a book though." She felt Jane tense up.

"Not. Funny," she hissed out. Tali just laughed. "Seriously Tali, if he does, I'm burning the damn thing!" It made Tali laugh harder. "You guys suck, big time." She rolled her eyes but she couldn't stop the smile from forming at the sight of Tali laughing.

Everything was going to be fine between them and she couldn't help but fall a little bit in love with Tali right this moment.

"Commander Shepard," EDI voice broke into the laugher. Tali calmed down while Shepard rolled her eyes.

"Yes, EDI?" she asked.

"We estimate to arrive in ten minutes. Jeff said you would like to see the arrival," EDI reported and Jane sighed. Their moment was over.

"Thank you EDI, I will be down in five. Could you make sure everyone is geared up and meet me in the command room?"

"Yes, Commander Shepard." The room descended into silence once more before they separated. Their moment was broken and they had to get back to what they were waiting to do, to save their crew, stop the Collectors and Reapers and come back home.

Tali placed a kiss on Shepard's bare shoulder before looking at the woman.

"Let's do this," she told Shepard, determination clear on her face. Shepard smiled, giving her sharp nod and they both climbed out of bed to get into their armour – which had already been brought up the night before so they didn't have to be hung-over on the way down to the second floor.

Once they were ready, Shepard took a deep breath as she looked into her fish-tank, briefly jealous at the sight of her fishes lazily swimming around, content and unaware of the danger ahead of them. A hand on her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts.

"You ready?" Shepard asked turning to look at Tali while grabbing her helmet. Tali nodded.

"You?" she asked. Shepard gave her a brief smile.

"As I'll ever be," she assured Tali as both of them came to a stop in front of each other. "You got my back?" Tali could see the shadows dancing in the back of her light blue eyes and inwardly cursed Kaidan for not being here. Those words were meant for the man who had her back from the beginning and both of them knew it.

"Yeah, you got mine?" Tali asked. Shepard's bottom lip trembled as she grinned.

"All the way," she assured before they touched foreheads. This was it, there was no coming back from this and they knew that no matter what, they would always be friends.

Nothing could get in the way of that.

The End

Kink Meme Prompt:

_I've been replaying ME2 again and damn Bioware for teasing me with Tali regarding Fem-Shepard. Honestly - how hard could it have been to make her available for Fem-Shepard?!_

_Anyway - this includes past Kaidan/Fem-Shepard (ME1) and tentative Tali/Kal'Reegar._

_Shepard is still upset over with what happened with Kaidan that she hasn't been looking at anyone else so she and Tali (on the way to the Collector's Base) decide to have a girl's night where they share their deepest secrets._

_Have Shepard venting about her frustration over Kaidan but she does understand his reasons - he wouldn't be the man she loved if he had come with her to Cerberus. (But it doesn't stop her from being annoyed that Kaidan wanted her to contact him when she was dead and she remarks that the Afterlife doesn't have a 'Call Home' aspect that she was aware of._

_Meanwhile - she teases Tali regarding her obvious feelings for Kal'Reegar. Tali at first denies it but eventually admits to it but explains she confessed to Kal but Kal had chosen a similar route to Kaidan in ME1 - there are regulations which leads to Tali getting downhearted._

_Cue to the two of them, thanks to feeling down and consuming alcohol, they share a kiss which eventually leads to comfort sex._

_1 - You can have that Shepard got Daniels, EDI and Chakwas on board about making her room sterilized enough for Tali to be unsuited. Give Tali a more human form (similar to one of the picture)_

_2 - You can develop into a relationship or just have it as a one night stand but if it is an ONS - don't make it awkward. Make it that they understood it was just one night of comfort and they are not going to let it destroy their friendship._

_Bonus - TIM is a sadistic bastard and, if Shepard chose to destroy the base, sent two copies of the video to Kal and Kaidan out of spite._


End file.
